Composer: Arnold Schoenberg
Performer: Siegfried Jerusalem, Sharon Sweet, Marjana Lipovšek, Hartmut Welker, Philip Langridge, Barbara Sukowa, Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Wiener Staatsoper
Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor: Claudio Abbado
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Eloquence
Catalogue: ELQ4807055
Release: 2013
Size: 422 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Gurrelieder
CD 01
Part 1
01. 01. Orchestral Prelude
02. 02. Waldemar: Nun dämpft die Dämmerung
03. 03. Tove: O, wenn des Mondes Strahlen
04. 04. Waldemar: Ross! Mein Ross!
05. 05. Tove: Sterne jubeln
06. 06. Waldemar: So tanzen die Engel
07. 07. Tove: Nun sag ich dir zum ersten Mal
08. 08. Waldemar: Es ist Mitternachtszeit
09. 09. Tove: Du sendest mir einen Liebesblick
10. 10. Waldemar: Du wunderliche Tove!
11. 10a. Orchestral Interlude
12. 11. Voice of the Wood-dove: Doves of Gurre
CD 02
Part 2
01. 12. Waldemar: Herrgott, weisst du, was du tatest
Part 3
02. 13. Waldemar: Erwacht, König Waldemars Mannen wert!
03. 14. Peasant: Deckel des Sarges Klappert
04. 15. Waldemar’s Men: Gegrüsst, o König
05. 16. Waldemar: Mit Toves Stimme flüstert der Wald
06. 17. Klaus the Jester: Ein seltsamer Vogel
07. 18. Waldemar: Du strenger Richter
08. 19. Waldemar’s Men: Der Hahn erhebt den Kopf
09. 20. Orchestral Prelude
10. 21. Speaker: Herr Gänsefuss, Frau Gänsekraut
11. 22. Mixed Chorus: Seht die Sonne
2013 marks the centenary of the first performance of Schoenberg’s – if not the early 20th century’s – essay in gargantuism. The forces involved were unprecedented: in addition to the soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors, bass and speaker) there were three male-voice choirs and an eight-part mixed choir; and the 150-piece orchestra included 25 woodwind, 11 percussion, 4 harps and 80 strings. In 1903 he had even been compelled to ask the Waldheim–Eberle Press to prepare him some special 48-stave manuscript paper. The reception at the first performance was overwhelming: the ovation lasted fifteen minutes; the composer’s denigrators were silenced, and many members of the audience wept. The title means ‘Songs of Gurre’, referring to Gurre Castle in Denmark, scene of the medieval love-tragedy revolving around the Danish national legend of the love of the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag (spelt Waldemar by Schoenberg) for his mistress Tove, and her subsequent murder by Valdemar’s jealous Queen Helvig.
Its performances and recordings have attracted some of the world’s finest dramatic sopranos – among them Susan Dunn and Jessye Norman, and here, Sharon Sweet. In a survey of this work, Gramophone magazine selected this, Claudio Abbado’s recording as the finest ever made. It was, then, only available for digital download, and is now, after an absence of several years, returns to the CD catalogue in a year which also celebrates Abbado’s 80th birthday.